Recap: From Mic Murdaraz TV, despite a pretty solid, gritty and often personal/punch-heavy (that “Simpsons” bar was fire) round from Project Prime that made this 1-rounder pretty competitive and close towards the end, a slightly more condensed JC, via a gang of hard-hitting gun bars, boastful barbs/schemes and stinging punchlines, manages to score more haymakers and edge what ended up being a dope battle.
Verdict: JC (W) 1-0
Favorite line: JC – “See in my world, if I go off in a blind fury then it’s just off top with me, see this a violent game, this kind of [reign] rain just too dangerous, even my brainstorm cause climate change!”
Recap: From URL, while E. Ness’ 1-2 body punches and vociferous (to be fair, Roc called ‘cap’ on like half of them) personals scored at times (esp. the more witty ones) and made for an earnest effort in this 3-rounder. Helped a bit by his opponent’s elongated rounds and often pedestrian bars, through the use of a highly efficient gun bar game, a gang of rich similes, fiery wordplay, solid name flips/personals and stinging/graphic-lit punches, a more substantive Tay Roc manages to take each round for the Gentleman’s 30.
Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Tay Roc – “All y’all nigga’s vs. one pistol, let’s see who jump the gun!”
Recap: In this highly competitive 1-rounder from The Platform Battles, while Jay Day Guy and T-Rex both supply the earnest trap talk, fiery street bars and boastful barbs, it’s the slightly more bar efficient Rex who edges the win over his elongated opponent.
Verdict: T-Rex (W) 1-0
Favorite line: T-Rex – “Good work always sell itself, you understand that, the coke so raw the stamp on it say ‘Bareback’!”
Recap: From Takeova Battle League, a close one here between Charlie Clips and Cheyraq. The latter keeping it competitive with a boatload of witty fat jokes, steely punches and hard street bars, while Clips kept it G with a gang of hard-hitting personals of his own, fiery schemes, plenty of boastful barbs and of course, a shitload of hitting rebuttals and freestyles that in the end allowed the Harlem vet to edge rounds 1 and 2 for the win before a debatable 3rd.
Verdict: Charlie Clips (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Charlie Clips – “I will murk you, fuck you and your little circle, confused bitch got on all this pink, but your pussy purple!”
Recap: From URL, not a good look for Swamp, who after competing pretty hard in round 1 of this 3-rounder versus Coffee Brown, seemed to become fazed by a lethargic crowd that to be fair didn’t seemed enthused by either one of the battlers on stage throughout the battle. A bit perturbed, the South Carolina vet seemingly choose to cut both of his latter rounds short and give way to a Coffee Brown who ignored the wearisome onlookers and stayed on point via a gang of fiery/mocking personals, blistering trap talk and consistently gritty punches to earn an easy 30.
Verdict: Coffee Brown (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Coffee Brown – “I don’t wanna shit about parenting when you left all your baby mamas alone, Daddy was a rolling stone. Swamp ran through, that’s Indiana Jones!”
Recap: From URL, out-barring opponent Snake Eyez at every turn, especially when it came to substantive street darts, similes, wordplay, name flips, storytelling, personals, set-up/punchlines and even (considering how aggressive Snake usually is) animated/mayhem-lit violence, an also much more condensed Rum Nitty scores more haymakers in each round and handily catches a 30 on Mr. One-Eye Willy.
Verdict: Rum Nitty (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Rum Nitty – “Raise the heat, pistol whip, recognize features…like face ID!”
Recap: Funny how leading off in this Bags & Bodies 1-rounder, Kapo Bravado asked Chef Trez not to do any rebuttals. And after listening to Kapo’s raps–a pretty dope combo of hard-hitting street bars, personals and set-up/punchlines–it’s no wonder he thought he could win without the Chef’s inevitable off-the-dome heat. Too bad for Kapo tho as the Chef would use his turn to not only lace his opponent with a gutsy (including a mid-rounder) 3 of them things, but also spout a gang of sturdy gun bars, gritty punches, wicked wordplay and stinging personals to score more than enough haymakers for the win.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “He was never safe, but y’all should’ve told I been with it, fuck short notice, my Prep nice enough to beat 6 nigger’s!”
Recap: From Mic Masters Alliance, a dope and highly competitive 3-rounder between 40 B.A.R.R.S. and Danny Myers comes down to the final round. The Bar God dishing out a bunch of vicious name flips, mayhem-lit punches and salacious personals to edge round 1 despite a pretty solid turn by 40, before the Team 40 president/CEO upped her wordplay game and with a consistent round filled with hard-hitting personals and stinging punchlines, edged the 2nd round despite a fiery and witty (esp. when it came to the old jokes) turn by Danny that included a couple of fire rebuttals. The deciding 3rd would be a boastful, personal-lit and a punch-fest on both sides. And while 40 would need to recover her bars mid-way through her round due to constant interruptions from the crowd, her wicked pen game contained just enough more haymakers to take the round and the win.
Verdict: 40 B.A.R.R.S. (W) 2-1
Favorite line: 40 B.A.R.R.S. – “Picture a nigga saying I’m not top 5, after all I’ve done, I swear to God I would’ve felt ashamed, but it’s clear that Bar God name don’t hit the same when it’s only self-proclaimed!”
Recap: From T.O.S Battle League, gritty with the punches, rich with the metaphors/name flips and expansive with the vocab…K Vemon spouted a competitive effort here for 3 rounds against Chef Trez. But never one to underestimate his opponent, after out-punching Venom in round 1 to handily take the opener, the Chef’s continuous display of sturdy gun bars, mocking personals, stifling off-the-dome heat and hard-hitting punchlines in enough to take the deciding (after getting edged in round 2) 3rd round for the win.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “Mac 10 load bra, hit his bro up, then give Ven mo [Venmo] bucks, I’m sending money through!”
Recap: Simply put, another day at the office for the Landlord. Fonz beating back a mostly pedestrian effort from Bill Collector with a consistent barrage of fiery name flips, bullish darts, feelgood wordplay, hitting punches and personals to handily catch a 30 in this 3-rounder from T-Top’s “No Cut” card.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Fonz – “You let a nigga touch and you laughed about it…oh you ticklish?!”!”
Recap: From Houston Bar Code, spirited and mayhem-lit with the punches while adding just enough solid name flips and spicy wordplay to the mix, allows Chess to edge this 1-rounder over Swav, who while richly dipped in hazardous street bar aesthetics, went a little overboard with the ‘chest’ name flips and other pedestrian (esp. when it came to the personals) bars.
Verdict: Chess (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Chess – “Nigga, I have to hurt you, I’m talking eyes black and purple, he cause a show, I’ll make a movie then fly back commercial!”
Recap: From T-Top’s “No Cut” card, against the leisurely but gritty polemics of Clone, Woosaah uses some sturdy wordplay, righteous gun bars, mocking personals and hard-hitting punchlines to score more haymakers and take both of the opening rounds for the win before a surge by Clone in the final round allowed for a debatable there.
Verdict: Woosaah (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Woosaah – “I don’t know much about taking a test, but I could tell you an autopsy look like a state exam!”
Recap: From T.O.S. Battle League, deftly mixing up rigorous street talk with proverbial Bible verses, solid name flips and gritty punchlines/personals, after a debatable round 1 (thanks in part to a couple of dope rebuttals from A. Ward), a more consistently hitting Tru Foe takes both of the latter rounds for the win in this mostly competitive 3-rounder.
Verdict: Tru Foe (W) 2-1
Favorite line: True Foe – “They believe in Tru words, the way I led my people to the water they respect me in Flint!”
Recap: From Bags n Bodies and The Riot, a crazy 3-rounder between Pristavia and Coffee Brown filled with a boatload of salacious (both sides) personals, righteous darts, Christian-themed disses (CB), syrupy name flips (Pristavia), gritty punchlines, unapologetically ratchet (CB) and fiery schemes/wordplay (Pristavia) comes down to round 3 after the two (Pristavia taking round 1 and Coffee taking round 2) split the opening rounds. However, round 3 while showcasing pretty solid turns from both battlers, would be edged by the slightly more punch/personal-heavy and consistently hitting Pristavia in what was a well-earned win.
Verdict: Pristavia (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Pristavia – “If you say you got knuckles you gonna have to stand on that like a primate!”
Recap: From Black Ice Cartel, utilizing a potent mix of death-gripping punchlines, morbid wordplay, boastful barbs, cold name flips and otherworldly graphic/mayhem-lit darts, JC is able to take the first two rounds for the win and beat back a pretty solid and gritty effort from Showstoppa, who still had enough oomph to come back with a personal and punch-heavy 3rd to edge it there and avoid the shutout.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “We here for everything, I’m even taking a cut off top if you selling dreams!”
Recap: After inexcusably losing his footing and choking midway through what was, up until then, a terrific round 1 of this BMBL Winter Madness 3-rounder vs. Bill Collector, Ill Will gets back on his grind and delivers a superb (i.e. classic) 2nd round to even things up. The Pontiac, MI, vet going ham with a hard-hitting variety of stinging 4-bar set-up/punchlines, witty/mocking personals, steely wordplay, dope name flips, solid local-themed raps and piercing gun bars/street darts before doing more of the same (esp. when it came to a bunch of salacious personals) to handily take the deciding 3rd for the win over a name flip-lit, witty at times and often animated when it came to the punches, but overall not nearly as punch heavy or consistent BC.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ill Will – “Bill, you could spit, but you the make us laugh type, I spit the shit that make your bitch throw the neck at me like a giraffe fight!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from The 147 Block, despite a minor, mid-round slip-up, a more condensed J Morr’s filthy barrage of daunting gun bars, potent punchlines and graphic street bars combine and score enough haymakers to edge a gritty and versatile, but altogether elongated and slightly less steady effort from Bad Newz.
Verdict: J Morr (W) 1-0
Favorite line: J Morr – “Nigga I sold the best, with no Connect, I live in Airplane mode!”
Recap: In my opinion URL should’ve released these Redemption 4 battles one day after the next on their own and let them breath individually instead of dumping them out on one day. Nonetheless, a goodie here between Kyd Slade and Nu Jerzey Twork. The former making the drug game proud with boatload of hitting trap talk, while also scoring with a gang of filthy street bars and lofty gun lines. On the other hand a scintillating Twork rocked the crowd with a shitload of stinging personals, spitfire punchline/similes, witty barbs, fly wordplay and piercing gun bars/name flips. A fiery and competitive 3-rounder all the way through, it’s the more punch-heavy and haymaker-lit NJT who would take both of the opening rounds for the win, before an equally efficient on both sides 3rd would force a debatable there.
Verdict: Nu Jerzey Twork (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Nu Jerzey Twork – “If y’all think children are the future then I’m Russell Wilson!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, through a variety of consistently hitting punchlines, wily personals, witty barbs and slick/mayhem-induced bars, Mackk Myron manages to score more haymakers and edge rounds 1 and 2 here for the win over the gritty stylings of a less steady Tex. Tho the Philly battler/up-n-comer, already armed with a gang of gully street darts, a sturdy flow and flexing wordplay, was able to put it all together with a superb 3rd to handily take the final round over a much less substantiative Mackk and avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Mackk Myron (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Mackk Myron – “You mad nigga?, I finna hit that kill button, I’m the Equalizer, i read the room then I kill something!”
Recap: From URL’s Redemption 4 card, while taking advantage of his opponent oft-choppy flow in both of the opening rounds, Lu Castro also scores with a bunch of righteous darts, blistering Christian-themed disses/punches, witty barbs and hitting personals to score a 30 over a Loso who while earnest, fiery and competitive in his raps, contributed to his defeat with way too many slip-ups and pedestrian bars.
Verdict: Lu Castro (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Lu Castro – “This nigger walk around so arrogant ‘cuz OTFMZ voted him the most sexy battle rapper…and half the panel was men!”
Recap: A fire URL 3-round “Redemption 4” card battle here between Jerry Wess and Chef Trez, showcases each battler on their A-game. The Chef, on point as usual with a boatload of stealth (“You are not Chef, you better move away before this tool get sprayed, I’ll have a switch for Wess [West] out the blue like the Luka trade!”) gun bars, fiery name flips, clever “How to scam right” tutorials and stinging off-the dome heat. Meanwhile, Mr. Wess would come correct with a gang of hard-hitting punchlines (especially during a spitfire round 2), wily name flips, piercing similes, a couple of fly rebuttals of his own and a crazy NYC scheme. Close throughout, a crazy haymaker of a rebuttal at the end of his round (which up till then was equally punch-lit on both sides) would edge Chef round 1. The 2nd round while competitive, saw Wess performing crazy and consistently punching at such a sublime level (i.e. classic) that even a pretty solid and gritty turn by Trez couldn’t keep up. In the deciding 3rd, despite struggling a bit with his flow, Wess would still deliver a dope, punch-worthy and winnable turn. But never one to slouch, the Chef would come back with some fire rebuttals that coupled with a well-themed, righteously personal and fierce 3rd to force a tie and overall, a debatable battle.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Jerry Wess – “You did a freestyle about me petting a llama, that shit wasn’t true neither, P’ll kidnap your bitch at the same place with the animals let the zoo keep her [zookeeper]!”
Recap: From Takeova Battle League, via a bunch of wily name flips, boastful barbs, piercing off-the-dome heat, hard-hitting personals and stinging/mayhem-lit punchlines, despite tapering off a bit towards the end of his round, a slightly more condensed and bar efficient Danny Myers is able to edge this 1-rounder over a pretty solid, gritty and bodacious effort from Covid B.
Verdict: Danny Myers (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Danny Myers – “This gangster image you trying to sell us?, it’s not a real person, last time Covid shut down a Vegas strip, it didn’t happen…we was still surfing!”
Recap: From URL, it’s South Carolina (Kid Chaos) versus North Carolina (T-Top) for 3 rounds in a competitive battle that mostly littered with greasy personals, rich metaphors, bountiful Carolina=isms, boastful barbs and witty puns. And with the set-up/punchline and name flip crazy Top scoring more haymakers to handily take round 1, before a gritty, funny at times and personal-lit Chaos returned the favor in round 2. Tied going into round 3, armed with some wily off-the-dome shiners and a boatload of versatile/piercing personals, despite another pretty solid turn by his opponent, it’s the more consistently hitting Top who would take the 3rd for the win.
Verdict: T-Top (W) 2-1
Favorite line: T-Top – “I grandfathered you in, so when it comes to emergency contact for Kid, my name at the top of the list!”
Recap: From URL’s ‘Redemption 4’ card, after the slightly more condensed Real Deal uses a bunch of witty personals and wily/obscure punches to edge round 1 over opponent JC’s more death-gripping parlance, the Michigan vet makes him pay for it in both of the latter two rounds. Indeed, even while Real Deal stayed competitive, JC would prove to be too much. The EFB member upping the ante and dishing a gang of sublime set-up/punchlines, boastful barbs, stinging wordplay and fiery gun bars to score haymakers amd take rounds 2 and 3 for the comeback win.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “Or the lead pop, bitch I step with no brakes like we in Bedrock!”
Recap: From URL, some hiccups with his flow, but it’s mostly a fiery J2 via a gang of salacious gun bars, who upends Jakkboy Maine in round 1 of this 3-rounder. However, while 2 still got busy with a bunch of gritty punches/personals and even more of the fierce gun lines we’re used to seeong from him in both of the latter rounds, Jakkboy would do him better. The former Goonie utilizing a boatlaod of ill set-up/punchlines, righteous darts, witty personals and stinging metaphorical tropes to edge rounds 2 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: Jakkboy Maine (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Jakkboy Maine – “The nigga retarded, gay and from the Midwest, where they aired his death and nobody checked him, yeah and I’m the cable provoder so he died on 3 different Spectrum’s!”
Recap: From Gates of the Garden, ganging up on opponent Chuck Book (who was actually pretty solid here) with a plethora of fire name flips, piercing wordplay and gritty punchlines/gun bars, Chess earns himself a 30 in what was a competitive 3-rounder.
Verdict: Chess (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Chess – “And just know I ain’t one of those nigga’s you could smoke, get toe-tagged, I’ll turn this Book into a footnote!”
Recap: From Takeova Battle League, with plenty of fiery gun bars a blazing and other noteworthy street semantics adrift, Vegas battler Kayo offers up a competitive effort in this 1-rounder vs. Real Name Brandon. However, via a gang of rapid-fire punches that scored with its airy similes and consistent mayhem to go along with a bunch of fire name flips, hard street tales and feelgood gun lines, it’s RNB who scores more than enough haymakers to take this one in the end.
Verdict: Real Name Brandon (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Real Name Brandon – “I’m notches above you, you gotta show me, ‘cuz every other day we had to throw [balls up hands like fists] these, my block was like Animal Planet, nuthin’ but pitbull’s and parolees!”
Recap: SMH. Versus a mostly subpar (esp. the 2nd half of his round 2) punching Mike P, in this 3-rounder from Chrome 23, Shooney Da Rapper’s well-documented struggles with her flow once again come back to her bite her. The ‘Black Widow’ handily taking the aforementioned 2nd round with a blistering turn that featured both heavy (“Trust me, you don’t wanna play, I’ll backhand him, now Remy gotta edit out the SMACK in a different way!”) punches and personals during a consistently aggressive run with nary an unforced error. But after a debatable round 1 that while serving as her opponent’s best turn, still saw a slightly punch-heavier Shooney fumble the ball flow-wise to make it a tie, a pretty pedestrian round by Mike (who outside of rapping about Shooney’s husband, also struggled with content here) sees him edge it anyway after his opponent counters with a mid/flow-challenged turn that she nearly choked away.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Mike P – “Your bars?, Haki trash, whoever wrote it should stop, your feet stink, I could smell your toes through your holes in your socks!”
Recap: Dope 3-rounder here between Ave and Xcel, brought to you from the good folks at TBL. Ave, surrounding an always hard-hitting punch game with a gang of hitting name flips, boastful barbs and stinging personals. While Xcel came with a boatload of piercing wordplay, some witty personals/storytelling and wily punches that for the most part landed. A gutsy and competitive performance from both battlers, it’s a slightly more haymaker-lit and bar efficient Ave who takes round 1, before Acel came back and returned the favor in both the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Xcel (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Xcel – “How a nigger that punch too unhealthy to fight for real?, you slide and drill?, and what you pulling up shit and kicking doors?, nigga how you testing hearts when yours need shots of Lipitor?!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder (that incredibly enough doesn’t start until the 7-plus minute mark) from Street Talk Ent, A. Ward uses a variety of spicy sport schemes, solid name flips, witty personals, boastful barbs and wily punchlines to edge a lyrical with some gritty wordplay/punches here and there, but mostly pedestrian Steams.
Verdict: A. Ward (W) 1-0
Favorite line: A. Ward – “I already killed J2, you ain’t nobody special, I went from him downstairs to HIM upstairs and now I’m showing you levels!”
Recap: From GOTG, a pretty good and equally competitive 1-rounder here between DNA and Dre Dennis with plenty of roundhouse punchlines, witty/righteous personals, lofty name flips and mayhem-lit gun and yes knife lines. Nonetheless, via spicier wordplay as well as a plethora of gritty bars that overall were slightly more haymaker-lit, it’s DNA who ends up edging this one.
Verdict: DNA (W) 1-0
Favorite line: DNA – “Fucking with me was the wrong option, I don’t care how he may feel, this ain’t gonna be a happy ending, DeShawn Watson!”
Recap: From MMTV, not the cleanest Ill Will round what with a mid-round slip-up. But thanks in part to his opponent Times (who via a bunch of gritty street bars and piercing punches was pretty solid throughout here) rapping twice as long as he did, a slightly more bar efficient, off-the-dome hitting, name flip scoring, gun bar-lit and hard-hitting with the personals & punchlines Ill Will is able to edge this competitive 1-rounder.
Verdict: Ill Will (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Ill Will – “I’m known everywhere, if you go to the East coast you better tuck ya chin, down there in the South you better act like you my fucking friend, I could get you fired on in L.A….like a gust of wind!”
Recap: From URL’s Nexus card, yeah even in light of a dope showing from Woosaah, can’t blame Jakkboy Maine for feeling like he should’ve had this one. The Richmond, VA, battler (after losing round 1 to his more haymaker-lit opponent) having to cut what was presumably a superb round 2, seemingly due to issues with his breathing and overall health. That would leave the crazy-punching, gritty, personal-lit and simile outstanding Woosaah with the win before Jakk would change up his flow/cadence and deliver a punch-heavy and fire 3rd to avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Woosaah (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Woosaah – “We rep the same flag but you ain’t part of my team bra, ironic he a Blood and every other day he C’s up!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, a fire 3-rounder between Charron and Ill Will that besides the usual menu items we’re accustomed to seeing from each battler, also surprisingly featured more off-the-dome heat from Will than his freestyle-prone Wild-n-Out opponent. Despite a bullish, gritty and competitive effort from Will in round, the opening round would go to the punch-crazy, (“This Freddy Kruger vs, Meek Mill, a nightmare to a dream chaser!”) boastful and more haymaker-lit Charron. Starting out the gate with a crazy and superb rebuttal, a righteous at times, personal-spazzing, witty, gun bar piercing, set-up/punchline spicy and bodacious Ill Will would come back to the second round over a pretty solid overall, but elongated effort from Charron. Tied going into round 3, Charron would dish yet another punch and personal-heavy round that while lengthy and prone to some pedestrian bars here and there, still kept the crowd hyped and scored aplenty. And while Will would utilize a convenient race angle against a white rapper in the 3rd, his sturdy combo of fly (including a mid-rounder) rebuttals, hard-hitting personals, steely punches and stinging pontifications in an equally efficient turn would earn the Yak-town battler a draw in the deciding round and a debatable altogether.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Ill Will – “STFU, let’s get this grudge out, I got money for a lawyer, you got money for a judge, I got money for the nigga to take the judge out!”
Recap: From Calicoe’s BMBL league, outside of a lazy gay/race angle in round 2, a bunch of pedestrian bars and a handful of slip-ups throughout his 3 rounds, J2 manages to unleash a solid, gun/street bars-heavy and gritty effort in front of a Detroit crowd that was into the entire battle. Too bad that A. Ward just on one here. The Kansas battler delivering a superb opening round, littered with a gang of righteous darts, fly name flips, mocking/witty personals, dope punchlines and fiery off-the-dome heat that combined to handily take the opener. Then in round 2 exposing the advantages and drawbacks of being a prominent gay rapper in battle rap while also dishing plenty of fly rebuttals and hitting punches/personals. Already up 2-0, Ward would bring down the energy a bit and offer up a solid and punch-worthy 3rd that coupled with J2 struggling with his flow to the point that he had to cut his round short, easily gave A. Ward he 30.
Verdict: A. Ward (W) 3-0
Favorite line: A. Ward – “Hey, listen to this, ‘cuz this how the story goes, Smack called your phone, you was giving some head!”
Recap: From URL’s Nexus card, yeah even if it’s a chick flashing her titties mid-round, you can’t let distractions get in your head and mess up your flow. Not in battle rap anyway (esp. a judged one as was the case here). As while Hansel pulls a J-Murda and pulls out his phone while his opponent raps, causing a huge slip-up (not a choke) by Dice (who was pretty solid, flippant with the personals and lyrical throughout), the feeling here is that the EFB member out-rapped his opponent in round 1 anyway. Hansel using some scathing personal breakdowns, gritty punches, fly wordplay and fiery name flips/gun bars to take both of the opening (esp. in round 2 where he was more haymaker-lit) rounds for the win before a debatable 3rd made it 2-1
Verdict: Hansel (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Hansel – “We will kidnap his bitch real, if we find out where she at, it’s a stripper’s Instagram, lock her [locker] in the back!”
Recap: Always nice to see a style clash as the righteous, poetic stylings of Jey The Nitewing faces off against the performance-lit, florescent synergy of Sheed Happens in a dope 3-rounder from URL’s Nexus card. And with both battlers seemingly intent on making 2025 their year, this one was doozy. Nitewing coupling his esoteric pontifications with a gang of piercing name flips, earnest/steel-toed raps, ill style breakdowns and some hitting metaphors, while Sheed kept it gritty with a boatload of fly personals, performance-lit punches and stinging wordplay. Close throughout, but with Sheed hurting himself a bit with elongated and slightly less efficient rounds in the 2nd and 3rd, after a debatable round 1, it’s the more witty and methodical Nitewing who takes round 2 and edges round 3 for the win.
Verdict: Jey The Nitewing (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Jey The Nitewing – “As a writer you sacrifice relevance, you choose embellishment, a beauty mark from a blemish and you overselling it, must be a Maryland element!”
Recap: Fire 3-rounder here from Chrome 23 between Detroit up-n-comer K1ng and Brooklyn vet Cortez. The former scoring left and right with a (“You gonna be hooked up to machines once a slug fire, he go from writing haymakers to hearing a beeping noise…his heart monitor reacting to a one-liner!”) plethora of crazy (esp. mid-round in the 2nd) punchlines, flippant name flips and dope wordplay throughout. While ‘Tez came hardbody with a gang of gritty street raps, righteous darts, some fiery trap talk and other lyrical burners and piercing gun bars that for the most part hit. A close one all the way through, with the help of some nice off-the-dome heat, it’s K1ng who edges round 1 before an equally efficient and haymaker-lit round 2 comes up a tie before the more steady hitting Cortez took the 3rd for the win there, thus making this one a debatable.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Cortez – “I’m so gutta, .40 Cal bone crusher, pole clutcher, Rocky in the meat freezer King, I’m a cold puncher!”
Recap: Except for when he got in his own way during this battle with some slip-ups (esp. in round 3) here and there, Jerry Wess utilizes a bunch of fiery schemes, witty gay jokes, mayhem-lit punchlines and searing name flips to coast to an easy victory over a loud and gritty, but mostly mid J2. The Brooklyn, NY, battler handily taking rounds 1 and 2 for the win, before losing out on a shutout (tho he did have a gang of fire punches) thanks to an elongated stumble mid-round in round 3 of this URL Nexus card.
Verdict: Jerry Wess (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Jerry Wess – “Nigga you think you tough ‘cuz you went to prison bitch?, nigga when will you learn, you think I’m supposed to believe 2 way street when it’s a nigga that made 2 turn!”
Recap: You know Chef Trez might be in some trouble when he barely rebuttals or freestyle’s. Indeed, outside of a seismic, gritty and haymaker-lit round 3 that he handily took, in this Nexus bout from URL, while he was still able to deliver a couple of pretty rounds, Trez’s inability (or choice) to dish any off-the-dome heat ends up costing him here against Arsonal. Da Rebel, while still a bit smitten with subpar here and there, overcoming that with a gang of piercing braggadocious raps, disrespectful personals, able wit, hitting trap talk and filthy name flips/punchlines in both of the opening rounds to out-punch his opponent and earn the win.
Verdict: Arsonal (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Arsonal – “I hold Nina tight at night, that’s a cuddle, show up to ya funeral, open the casket just to tell you I’m still waiting on that rebuttal!”
Recap: In this 1-rounder from Full Effect Battles, gritty Cincinnati up-n-comer Marqo Mazii’s slightly more consistently nice punch game is enough to edge a pretty solid, but sometimes flat (esp. when it came to name flips and bullish darts) performance by Fonz.
Verdict: Marqo Mazii (W)
Favorite line: Marqo Mazii – “Oh y’all gonna make me mad tonight, trying to figure out how y’all ain’t catch that shit like Magic’s wife!”
Recap: From RBE, nice comeback here by O-Red. The Jersey vet, while unfocused in a round 1 that also saw him get obliterated by the righteous darts, spicy personals and boastful barbs from Emerson Kennedy, get back on his grind, come back with a crazy, gritty and punch-heavy round 2 to tie things up before continuing his burst of killer wordplay, filthy schemes/punches, gutsy sports bars, off-the-dome heat and flippant/witty personals to take the deciding 3rd round over another pedestrian effort from EK and gain the win.
Verdict: O-Red (W) 2-1
Favorite line: O-Red – “Fuck it let’s really play, cig with a silencer that’s an NDA!”
Recap: From Aftermath Battle League, definitely a Gentlemen’s 30 as a really dope (esp. in round 2) rebuttal game and a bunch of gritty/pretty solid punches from V-Gotti kept the Louisiana battler competitive for 3 rounds. But with the likes of Chef Trez solid isn’t enough as the ATL vet would unleash a gang of sizzling trap talk, fiery gun bars, hard-hitting name flips/metaphors and cold-blooded, mayhem-drenched punchlines to score more haymakers in each round to earn a shutout.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “You a damn clown, I’ll put him in the dirt, bow ya head, by the time they look it’s in for Church, 30 rounds, let a semi burst, it look like a whole leg hanging out the ratchet…it’s a mini-skirt!”
Recap: From Black Ice Cartel, a dope 3-rounder between Killa B and Rum Nitty sees the former (after getting edged to his slightly more haymaker-lit opponent in round 1) stick to a hard-hitting gameplan that ran the myriad of gritty name flips to nifty wordplay/similes to festive gun bars to stinging punchlines and fiery street lines, thus earning the hometown, Milwaukee, WI, rapper the edge in rounds 2 and 3 for a nice comeback win.
Verdict: Killa B (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Killa B – “So bro fuck it, who thought I couldn’t go toe-to-toe with buddy, think NBA in-season tournament…the flow [floor] is ugly!”
Recap: From OSBL, a pretty good 1-rounder between Chef Trez and Swervoo features plenty of fiery gun bars from both battlers as well as a boatload of gritty punches, gratuitous flexing and hitting name flips. Definitely a close one, but after (for him, anyway) a bit of a slow start, it’s the slightly more punch-heavy and haymaker-lit Trez who edges it in the end.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “They don’t see no ‘g’ in him, I feel like I’m getting my license when I’m gripping heat killer, you know how they give you a number before you get to meet with ’em?, it’s the same here, because you’ll see A40 [a .40] flash on a DMV nigga!”
Recap: From RBE, a blazing round 1 that was heavy on the braggadocious darts, systematic gun lines and gritty punchlines and a pretty solid 2nd round that contained all of the above when it came to a fly mid-round rebuttal, rich similes, hard-hitting street bars and piercing punches/name flips, allows Arsonal to take both of the opening rounds over a pretty mid-punching Coach Corleone for the win in this 3-rounder. Helped by bit by da Rebel choking away his 3rd, the more steady and punch-lit Corleone would handily take the final round and avoid a shutout.
Verdict: Arsonal (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Arsonal – “Even before Crippin’ I was pushing blues like Miles Davis!”
Recap: From Full Effect Batttle League, in a competitive 1-rounder filled with plenty of rigid street darts, gutsy trap talk and gritty punches, despite a pretty solid turn by Big Chauncey (esp. towards the end of his round), it’s still the slightly more bar efficient, build-up dope and haymaker-lit T-Top who pulls out the win.
Verdict: T-Top (W) 1-0
Favorite line: T-Top – “I don’t care if you got home field advantage, just know that the bases loaded, I’ll drive through the ‘Nati with a whip from Cleveland that got Dayton’s on it!”
Recap: From BMBL’s Winter Madness card, for the most part not relying on the usual shitload of fat jokes/personals we’re used to seeing against his opponent, instead an aggressive and hyped up Tay Roc sticks to a consistently gut-wrenching mix of heated gun bars, stifling name flips and gritty/mayhem-lit punchlines to handily take both of the opening rounds from a confident, but hit-n-miss punch-wise Marv Won. The win already in hand, Roc would still deliver yet another searing, violent-prone and pretty solid round in the 3rd. But making sure he held his own in front of a hometown Detroit crowd, Marv’s 180 degree switch-up to a steady gang of witty and hard-hitting personals would pay off, edge him the final round and avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Tay Roc (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Tay Roc – “My height 5-10, but carry the deuce I’m 6-1!”
Recap: From Chrome 23, a dope one here between Eazy The Block Captain and Shotgun Suge. The two East-coast vets bringing the competitive energy, blistering personals (esp. on Suge’s part) and highly-brolic manifesto’s to a battle that was highly anticipated and lived up to the hype for all 3 rounds. Despite a trio of elongated rounds, the Block Captain definitely came to win. Eazy turning up in front of a mostly hostile Jersey crowd with a gritty bag of boastful barbs, piercing trap talk, righteous/scandalous personals and solid punches/name flips. While Suge rocked the crowd with a shitload of fiery personals (directed at Eazy and his gf Remy Ma), solid wordplay/similes, witty barbs, hitting mayhem-laced punches and cold gun bars/name flips of his own. A close battle through and through with a plethora of haymakers dished from both sides during each round, it’s the more salacious, condensed and more haymaker-lit Suge who edged rounds (a classic in its build-up and execution) 1 and 2 for the win, before a slightly more steady and punch-heavy Eazy came back to edge the 3rd.
Verdict: Shotgun Suge (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Shotgun Suge – “And Remy, you make the community nervous, you came home and cleaned up the Block doing community service!”
Recap: From Reel Spit Battle League, Chef Trez graces the stage of yet another independent battle league and comes away with another 30. The ATL vet using a boatload of gritty 4-bar set-up/punchlines, fiery gun bars, solid name flips/personals and potent off-the-dome theatrics to drop the hammer on what was (esp. in the latter two rounds) was a pretty solid and punch-heavy effort from opponent Hero.
Verdict: Chef Trez (W) 3-0
Favorite line: Chef Trez – “Look fam, you never hit the corner with enough work to serve plates till tomorrow, hitting the block so much that you ain’t no more pages to follow!”
Recap: From iBattle, suggesting that his opponent grab a bottle of water to drink while he’s choking? That Fonz guy seems like a really cool dude. The Landlord is also pretty good at this rapping thing as he displays again here, utilizing a bunch of fiery punchlines, hardbody personals and other mayhem-lit bully bars to catch a body on up-n-comer Nakim The Prophet, who after a mostly subpar start, blew any chance at an upset by choking away his only round.
Verdict: Fonz (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Fonz – “Hey, if we did get down then I’d slump you, if my nigga’s around then we’ll jump you, I know you got kids you play Patty-cake?, well you know you get clapped before a nigga go around with the knuckles!”
Recap: From Flatline Battle Grounds, 3 rounds feauring O’fficial versus Big Ice and it’s a competitive one. The two big girls unleashing plenty of mayhem with their punches to go along with boatloads of heated bars, righteous personals, fiery name flips and fiesty wordplay. Close throughout, after an equally bar efficient and debatable round 1, it’s the slightly more haymaker-lit and condensed O’fficial who edges rounds 2 and 3 for the win.
Verdict: O’fficial (W) 2-1
Favorite line: O’fficial – “She said we came to line her up, bitch you could get whipped without the gas, it’s a cybertruck!”
Recap: From T.O.S Battle League, plenty of pedestrian punchlines and Ultimate Beast Primus definitely went a little OD with the been there done that personals on his opponent’s wife. But after getting beat in round 1 to the more punch-heavy Danny Myers in round 1, UBP’s hardbody punches, solid street darts, aggressive gun bars and bullish zingers prove to be just enough to take round 2 and edge round 3 for the win over a Bar God who while still competitive with the off-the-dome theatrics, couldn’t measure up when it come to a consistent punch game in the latter rounds.
Verdict: Ultimate Beast Primus (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Ultimate Beast Primus – “Who said he was gonna 3-0 Primus?, I will Debu Myers, if it’s beef the body lean like a Keto diet!”
Recap: A three-round battle that originated from some beef these two got into after they both appeared in a 2022 Bags & Bags reality show, two of the loudest battlers in the game, J2 and Snake Eyez, perform in a bout that while tense and heated throughout, ended up being pretty anti-climatic when it comes to the verdict. Snake utilizing a gritty and boisterous punch game that with a plethora of wily personals and bullish street darts, handily taking both of the opening rounds from an opponent, who while hitting with some salacious gun bars and stinging punchlines here and there, hurt himself with too many subpar bars and reaches in rounds and 1 and 2. The win already in hand for Snake entering round 3, the final round is where J2 would finally step it up with better consistency that coupled with a shitload of flexing personals and witty/righteous darts, easily allowed the ATL rapper to easily beat back a mediocre round from Snake and salvage the 3rd.
Verdict: Snake Eyez (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Snake Eyez – “The audacity, the thoughts of you winning tonight is funny actually, you write better than who? hearing that is a tragedy, like outta nowhere I’m a say fuck the pen like Cassidy!”
Recap: Capped by a stellar second round, that with its potent mix of nimble but sterling wordplay, strong/fiery build-ups, fierce build-ups, hard-hitting street raps and bullish/mayhem-lit punchlines, after edging round 1 with a slightly more haymaker-rich and efficiently spicy turn, in this 3-rounder from BMBL’s Winter Madness card, Calicoe takes both of the opening rounds for the win before a turned-up and highly (that “missing proof” line was fire) punch-heavy Swamp handily took the 3rd to avoid the shutout.
Verdict: Calicoe (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Calicoe – “Nigga the coke so white I got it from an Aryan, nah nigga the coke so white an NBA nigga married it!”
Recap: From LetsBeReal Battle League, before getting handily beat in a hard-hitting and haymaker-lit 3rd round by Kapo Bravado (who was pretty solid in the early going, but really turned it up in the final round), in both of opening rounds a performance-lit Jaz The Rapper lights up the Louisiana crowd with spiffy barrage of fiery gun bars, piercing punchlines and mocking/witty personals in two more bar efficient turns and earn the win.
Verdict: Jaz The Rapper (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Jaz The Rapper – “Your Twitter bio say ‘If I help you cheat on him, you help me rob him’, man you say a bunch of shit just for kicks, how about I let you eat my pussy then I rob you nigga?, a lick is a lik!”
Recap; in this close 1-rounder from LetsBeReal Battle League, a pretty solid and punch-heavy round from Hustle gets beat back by the slightly more versatile and condensed Shooney Da Rapper. The NY battle vet coming down south and aggressively dishing out a gang of fiery gun bars, some solid name flips, pertinent hometown, Louisiana-isms and mayhem-lit punches to edge the win.
Verdict: Shooney Da Rapper (W) 1-0
Favorite line: Shooney Da Rapper – “Flatline, it’s something like a psychic, I got your future in my palm, anybody that’s assisting Husttle gonna get it off the arm!”
Recap: From URL, in a battle filled with plenty of hardbody punchlines, gully street raps, piercing gun lines, solid name flips and mostly from T-Top’s end: witty/fiery personals, it’s the more consistently gritty and bullish darts from Woosaah that come back and take it in the end. The Crubible alum, after getting edged to the slightly more bar efficient Top in the opening round, and sticking to his gameplan with a steady mix of bullish bars, feelgood personals, dope storytelling and mayhem-lit zingers that that not only had more bite than his opponent, but coupled with (tho he did have a wild middle round) Top going oft-kilt a bit when it came to flow, allowed the Virginia battler to edge the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the win.
Verdict: Woosaah (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Woosaah – “Fuck these small rooms, I really seen bodies with no reaction!”
Recap: Putting aside the constant irritant of a seemingly drunk Smack interrupting the battle time and time again, it’s a fire 3-round battle from URL’s “Outside 3” card between Yunus and Rum Nitty. The former, utilizing some exquisite wordplay, fire punchlines/schemes, multiple cadences, stinging metaphors/name flips and witty/feelgood personals to stay in the mix. While the ever-confident Rum matched his opponent’s flex with a steady barrage of hard-hitting gun bars, gritty punches, wily (“Against Hansel you really did that, you was up there wilding on him, styling on him, but you’re an African, of course you had to go the extra mile for Water!”) personals and fiery wordplay/similes. Add to the pot some fly off-the dome darts by Yunus and you’re left with three rounds that were all close. Still, it’s the slightly more condensed and haymaker-lit Nitty who edged the opening round before an equally potent and debatable 2nd round which was then followed by the slightly more punch-crazy Yunus taking the final round for an overall tie.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: Yunus – “You can’t turn up when I turn up, Dr. Jekyl, mister hiding, he thugging, piece booming, speed often, squeeze to him, like a Maury cameraman, you keep shooting!”
